Biography
From the instant Milt Herth encountered the inaugural Hammond organ on display and in demonstration within the Hammond Clock Company's Chicago lobby during the early 1930s, he recognized his destined path. His unwavering commitment to performing on and exhaustively chronicling the instrument—through issuing solo sheet music arrangements and producing numerous recordings—might justify labeling organ history as "herth-tory." A contemporary report from the 1938 Princeton College reunion captured his role: "The feature of the event was Milt Herth, who with his electric organ produced an unprecedented marathon of music."
Herth primarily led a trio that combined his organ with piano and drums. Here "regular" distinguishes the piano from the organ and does not imply anything about the caliber of pianists he selected, such as the amazing Willie "The Lion" Smith. Additional participants in these ensembles encompassed pianist Billy Kyle, a frequent associate of Louis Armstrong, along with drummer O'Neil Spencer and guitarist Teddy Bunn. Herth secured his initial professional opportunity in 1935 upon being appropriately hired by WIND, an Indiana radio station, to serve as organist.
Among the pieces in his developing songbook were the tasty "Home Cookin' Man With a Fryin' Pan," the creepy if sanctified "Goblins in the Steeple," the thrifty if romantic "Honeymoonin' on a Dime," and the predictably wimpy "Sissy." He devised a distinctive method of delivering phrases resembling the throwing of darts toward a typewriter, a technique so inherent to the Hammond that numerous fellow organists struggled to avoid copying it. In the latter portion of the 1930s, Herth's quartet initiated sessions for Decca. Collections reissuing early recordings by Willie "The Lion" Smith have incorporated selections from his time performing alongside Herth.
Herth primarily led a trio that combined his organ with piano and drums. Here "regular" distinguishes the piano from the organ and does not imply anything about the caliber of pianists he selected, such as the amazing Willie "The Lion" Smith. Additional participants in these ensembles encompassed pianist Billy Kyle, a frequent associate of Louis Armstrong, along with drummer O'Neil Spencer and guitarist Teddy Bunn. Herth secured his initial professional opportunity in 1935 upon being appropriately hired by WIND, an Indiana radio station, to serve as organist.
Among the pieces in his developing songbook were the tasty "Home Cookin' Man With a Fryin' Pan," the creepy if sanctified "Goblins in the Steeple," the thrifty if romantic "Honeymoonin' on a Dime," and the predictably wimpy "Sissy." He devised a distinctive method of delivering phrases resembling the throwing of darts toward a typewriter, a technique so inherent to the Hammond that numerous fellow organists struggled to avoid copying it. In the latter portion of the 1930s, Herth's quartet initiated sessions for Decca. Collections reissuing early recordings by Willie "The Lion" Smith have incorporated selections from his time performing alongside Herth.
Albums